382 FERULIC ACID. 



alcohol, more easily soluble in the hot liquids. Bibasic 

 acid. 



Femlic acid, C 10 H 10 4 . Is contained in assafcetida. 

 The alcoholic solution of the latter is precipitated 

 with an alcoholic solution of lead acetate and the pre- 

 cipitate, after being repeatedly pressed and washed 

 with alcohol, decomposed with dilute sulphuric acid. 

 Colorless, long, four-sided needles ; almost insoluble in 

 cold water, easily soluble in hot water and in alcohol ; 

 fusing point, 153-154 ; not sublimable. The aqueous 

 solution gives a yellowish-brown precipitate with iron 

 chloride ; monobasic, diatomic acid ; yields protocate- 

 chuic and acetic acids when fused with potassa. 



Hemipinic acid, C 10 H W 0' (C 6 H 2 j [^OH) 2 ? ). Is 

 produced, together with cotarnin, meconin, and opianic 

 acid, by the oxidation of narcotin (see Alkaloids) with 

 dilute nitric acid or black oxide of manganese and sul- 

 phuric acid. Large, four-sided prisms with varying 

 quantities of water of crystallization ; difficultly solu- 

 ble in cold water, more easily in alcohol ; fuses at 180, 

 and sublimes without decomposition. When heated 

 with hydriodic or hydrochloric acids, it yields methyl 

 iodide or chloride, carbonic anhydride, and two isomeric 

 acids, opinic acid and isopinic acid, C 14 H 10 8 4- 3II 2 0. 



Opianic acid, C 10 H 10 5 . Is formed from narcotin 

 together with the preceding compound. Colorless, fine 

 prisms, but slightly soluble in cold water; fuses at 

 140 ; conducts itself in most reactions like an alde- 

 hyde ; yields meconin and hemipinic acid when heated 

 with potassa-ley; and when oxidized is completely 

 converted into hemipinic acid. 



Meconin, C 10 H 10 4 . Is contained in opium ; is 

 formed together with cotarnin (see Alkaloids) from 

 narcotin by heating with water at 100; and from 

 opianic acid by the action of nascent hydrogen or by 

 treatment with potassa-ley. Lustrous, colorless crys- 



